2 Samuel 10 6

2 Samuel 10:6 kjv

And when the children of Ammon saw that they stank before David, the children of Ammon sent and hired the Syrians of Bethrehob and the Syrians of Zoba, twenty thousand footmen, and of king Maacah a thousand men, and of Ishtob twelve thousand men.

2 Samuel 10:6 nkjv

When the people of Ammon saw that they had made themselves repulsive to David, the people of Ammon sent and hired the Syrians of Beth Rehob and the Syrians of Zoba, twenty thousand foot soldiers; and from the king of Maacah one thousand men, and from Ish-Tob twelve thousand men.

2 Samuel 10:6 niv

When the Ammonites realized that they had become obnoxious to David, they hired twenty thousand Aramean foot soldiers from Beth Rehob and Zobah, as well as the king of Maakah with a thousand men, and also twelve thousand men from Tob.

2 Samuel 10:6 esv

When the Ammonites saw that they had become a stench to David, the Ammonites sent and hired the Syrians of Beth-rehob, and the Syrians of Zobah, 20,000 foot soldiers, and the king of Maacah with 1,000 men, and the men of Tob, 12,000 men.

2 Samuel 10:6 nlt

When the people of Ammon realized how seriously they had angered David, they sent and hired 20,000 Aramean foot soldiers from the lands of Beth-rehob and Zobah, 1,000 from the king of Maacah, and 12,000 from the land of Tob.

2 Samuel 10 verses

2 Samuel 10 6 Meaning

2 Samuel 10:6 describes the immediate reaction of the Ammonites after they grossly dishonored David's envoys. Realizing their offensive act had deeply alienated and provoked King David, they understood they had made themselves utterly abhorrent in his sight. In anticipation of David’s inevitable retaliation, they swiftly sought to strengthen themselves by hiring a large coalition of mercenary forces from various Aramean kingdoms: Beth-rehob, Zobah, Maacah, and Ish-tob, amassing a significant military contingent to prepare for the looming conflict.

2 Samuel 10 6 Context

This verse occurs within the narrative of King David’s reign, following a period of consolidated power and righteous leadership. The preceding verses (2 Sam 10:1-5) detail a diplomatic incident where King David, intending to show kindness to Hanun, the new king of Ammon, sends envoys to comfort him upon the death of his father Nahash. However, misled by his advisors who suspected David’s true intentions, Hanun cruelly shames David's ambassadors by shaving off half their beards and cutting off their garments in the middle, up to their buttocks. This act was a profound insult in ancient Near Eastern culture, equating to extreme public humiliation and stripping someone of their dignity and honor. 2 Samuel 10:6 immediately follows this and portrays the Ammonites' realization of the grave error they had committed, understanding that they had pushed David, a powerful monarch, to a point of inevitable military reprisal. They anticipated the magnitude of David's righteous anger and therefore urgently sought external military aid, recognizing their own inability to withstand David’s forces alone. The incident precipitates a major conflict between Israel and the Ammonites, drawing in various Aramean kingdoms, expanding the scope of David's military campaigns and further solidifying his control over the region as divine favor was upon him.

2 Samuel 10 6 Word analysis

• וַיִּרְאוּ (vay-yir-u) - "and they saw." This indicates a sudden realization, an awareness dawning upon them. It implies not just physical sight but intellectual comprehension.
• בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן (b'ney Ammon) - "sons of Ammon," or "the Ammonites." The collective noun emphasizes the nation as a whole was involved in the decision and action.
• כִּי נִבְאֲשׁוּ (ki niv'ashu) - "that they had made themselves a stench," or "that they had become odious/abhorrent/stinking." The root בָּאַשׁ (ba'ash) literally means "to stink" or "emit a foul smell." Figuratively, it denotes extreme loathsomeness, detestation, or disgust. It perfectly captures the gravity of their offense from their own perspective – they knew they had provoked profound revulsion and anger in David. This phrase is used in other biblical contexts (e.g., Exod 5:21, Gen 34:30) to convey a state of becoming extremely obnoxious or despised, implying ruin or grave trouble. It suggests they anticipated not just anger, but a profound and devastating response from David.
• לְדָוִד (l'david) - "to David." This preposition emphasizes David as the recipient and direct object of their abhorrence; it was his honor they defiled.
• וַיִּשְׁלְחוּ (vay-yish-l'chu) - "and they sent." Implies immediate and decisive action. They didn't wait; they proactively sought to mitigate the consequences.
• וַיִּשְׂכְּרוּ (vay-yis-k'ru) - "and they hired." From שָׂכַר (sakar), "to hire for pay, rent." This signifies their willingness to pay for mercenary forces, indicating both their wealth and the depth of their fear and desperation. Hiring mercenaries was a common practice in the ancient Near East, reflecting the belief that wealth could purchase military might.
• אֶת־אֲרָם בֵּית־רְחוֹב וַאֲרַם צוֹבָה...וּמֵאִישׁ טוֹב (et-Aram Beth-rehob va-Aram Tzobah...u-me'Ish Tov) - These are specific Aramean kingdoms known for their military prowess.
  • Beth-rehob: A city or region in Syria, possibly near Dan.
  • Zobah: A prominent and powerful Aramean kingdom, a major player in the region, often vying for influence with Israel. Its king, Hadadezer, features prominently in subsequent chapters.
  • Maacah: Another small Aramean kingdom east of the Jordan, near Mount Hermon.
  • Ish-tob: "Men of Tob," or the Land of Tob, a small Aramean principality in the Transjordan, possibly east of Gilead.These names indicate a broad, powerful coalition, highlighting the magnitude of the perceived threat and the resources the Ammonites were willing to commit.
• עֶשְׂרִים אֶלֶף רַגְלִי (esrim elef ragli) - "twenty thousand foot soldiers." This, along with the subsequent numbers, emphasizes the large scale of the forces mustered, signaling a major military confrontation.

Words-Group Analysis:

• "When the Ammonites saw that they had made themselves a stench to David": This phrase encapsulates the Ammonites' dawning realization and self-assessment of their folly. It is a moment of regret and fear, recognizing the depth of the insult and the severity of David's probable response. This spiritual principle aligns with realizing the consequences of dishonoring those God has chosen.
• "the Ammonites sent and hired Arameans": This immediate, pragmatic, and costly response highlights their desperate attempt to secure their nation's survival through military alliances, reflecting a reliance on human power rather than repentance or seeking peace. This echoes a common biblical theme of nations trusting in their own strength or foreign alliances over God.
• "from Beth-rehob and Zobah, 20,000 foot soldiers, and from Maacah 1,000 men, and from Ish-tob 12,000 men": The specific naming of these Aramean kingdoms and the large troop numbers (totaling 33,000 men) signify the formation of a formidable military coalition. This alliance poses a significant threat to Israel and underscores the Ammonites' ability to pay for such a force, highlighting their deep apprehension of David's army. It also sets the stage for a major military conflict in David's reign.

2 Samuel 10 6 Bonus section

The total number of mercenaries, 33,000 men, signifies a truly massive fighting force for the era. For context, David’s standing army might have numbered around this size in its totality or less in specific campaigns. The willingness of these Aramean states to send such a contingent suggests either very attractive pay from the Ammonites or shared geopolitical anxieties regarding David's growing regional dominance. This event directly leads to a significant and prolonged war for David, showcasing his military strength and divine favor as he ultimately triumphs over these powerful combined forces, including a particularly strong confrontation with Hadadezer, the king of Zobah. This war is documented further in 2 Samuel 10:7-19 and 1 Chronicles 19. The biblical account highlights not just the military engagements, but the Lord's hand in empowering David to overcome overwhelming odds, demonstrating that reliance on hired foreign armies, no matter how numerous, is ultimately futile against God's purposes.

2 Samuel 10 6 Commentary

2 Samuel 10:6 marks a crucial turning point following the egregious insult inflicted upon King David by the Ammonite king Hanun. The Ammonites’ immediate military build-up, specifically their widespread recruitment of various Aramean mercenary forces, underscores their profound understanding that they had crossed a line of no return. The term "made themselves a stench" is a powerful idiom denoting utter detestation and abhorrence, signifying the depth of David's justifiable wrath and their expectation of severe retribution. This collective decision by the Ammonites to fortify themselves with foreign military aid, rather than seeking to appease or reconcile with David, reflects both their pride and their pragmatic yet ultimately futile attempt to defend themselves against divine retribution often mediated through God's anointed King. The sheer number and diverse origins of the hired mercenaries illustrate the scale of their fear and their readiness for a major war. This narrative serves to illustrate how unchecked pride and poor counsel (as seen in Hanun's earlier interaction with his advisors) can lead to ruinous consequences, forcing nations into conflicts born of their own foolish provocations. For God's people, it implicitly underscores that those who oppose His chosen representatives invite inevitable and overwhelming judgment, even if such judgment comes through natural military processes.